


Simple Things

by EscapingReality51



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Bartender AU, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, accountant!Robert, bartender!Aaron, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 20:52:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11112648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EscapingReality51/pseuds/EscapingReality51
Summary: “You alright?” the bartender asked. He wore a black t-shirt and trousers that seemed to be the uniform of the place, soft dark curls resting on his head and stubble making his jaw defined and accentuating his lips.“Fine,” Robert said gruffly before he drained his glass. “Another?”The bartender lifted an eyebrow and nodded, lifting the good whisky down from the shelf and refilling his glass.“This one’s on me,” he said, shooting Robert a small smile.Robert gave him a skeptical look and the bartender’s eyes flickered over to the table.





	Simple Things

The bar was dark, atmospheric, with candles gently illuminating every table, making the customers look softer somehow. Robert sat at the bar nursing a glass of a whisky that he would deem too peaty, thinking that the bartender must have a better one behind the bar. He winced as he took a sip, his expression matching his mood; he was brooding, sullen and annoyed over his lack of interest from the cute redhead he had spoken to earlier - the same redhead that was currently talking to a very handsome man in a corner booth, and who was slowly inching closer to him. 

Robert sighed and turned his head back to stare ahead, ignoring the sting of rejection and instead took a sip of his whisky, enjoying the burn but hating that he was left to drink it alone. He looked over a last time and saw the redhead with his arm in the bloke’s lap, and sighed. 

“You alright?” the bartender asked. He wore a black t-shirt and trousers that seemed to be the uniform of the place, soft dark curls resting on his head and stubble making his jaw defined and accentuating his lips. 

“Fine,” Robert said gruffly before he drained his glass. “Another?” 

The bartender lifted an eyebrow and nodded, lifting the good whisky down from the shelf and refilling his glass. 

“This one’s on me,” he said, shooting Robert a small smile. 

Robert gave him a skeptical look and the bartender’s eyes flickered over to the table. 

“I can hear you pining from here, mate.” 

Robert groaned. 

“That obvious is it?” he said dejectedly. 

“Only to the trained eye,” the bartender said, smiling. “I’m hoping the drink will wipe that frown off you, you might even find someone else then.” 

Robert smiled, and maybe the honest smile the bartender was giving him was a sign. He took a sip and sighed in contentment; it was his favourite type of whisky, smoky and full of depth with a slow burn down his throat. 

“Excellent taste,” he said, tipping the glass towards the bartender. “Thought you might have a better one back there somewhere than the one your co-worker poured me…”

“Thank you. I thought you might be someone who appreciated a good scotch.” 

Robert nodded at him, setting the glass down on the counter and resting his hands next to it. The bartender remained opposite him, putting away clean glasses with a tea-towel slung over his shoulder. He noticed Robert looking at him and sent him a small smile.

“Work here long then?” he asked and the bartender shrugged.

“Started working here during my undergrad, now that I’m doing a graduate I just kept on… good to have a steady income,” he said and Robert was struck by his apparent intelligence. Maybe being turned down wasn’t such a bad thing after all...

“What are you studying then, if you don’t mind me asking?” Robert’s voice was only slightly louder than the music, and the cute bartender had to move closer to make sure he was heart. Not that Robert complained.

“Psychology,” the bartender replied, leaning on his elbows against the bar, accentuating his arms. “What do you do?” 

“Accounting,” Robert answered, “not as interesting but it pays well.” 

“Sounds dead boring,” the bartender said, a smile on his lips. “I’m Aaron,” he added, holding out his hand for Robert to shake. 

“Robert.” He shook his hand firmly before Aaron went off to serve a customer, a cute girl with a sizeable cleavage. She was clearly flirting, leaning over the bar to accentuate her curves and Aaron stood talking to her for longer than strictly necessary. 

Robert glanced at his watch and groaned internally; he knew he had a long day tomorrow, and even if the alternative was sitting at home alone in his apartment, he knew he shouldn’t stay out too late. He got up and gathered his coat, waiting sufficient time for Aaron to come back before 

“Well that’s me leaving, then,” Robert said when Aaron came back, feeling dejected. “I’ve got an early morning and this isn’t really my night.” 

He made to drain his glass when the bartender gave him a look, that look he had wanted to see all evening. 

“Maybe not… but if you wait about an hour my shift will be over,” he said, and Robert looked at him, took in his blue eyes and his defined arms and felt his mouth water. 

He shouldn’t. Aaron was looking at him, a cocky grin and arms crossed over his chest, tightening the material of his t-shirt across his chest. Robert had just started in his office, and being late wasn’t going to increase his standing with his boss, but looking at Aaron it was all he could do to stay standing. 

“Right,” he said, giving him a once over, all thoughts of the redhead forgotten. “Maybe I’ll stay then.” 

Aaron pulled down the whisky and topped up his glass, smiling at him as he put it back on the shelf, stretching just enough to let Robert catch a glimpse of his happy trail. Robert met Aaron’s eye and felt a blush creeping up his cheek - not that he regretted looking. 

Robert couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched Aaron walk over to serve a customer. He looked at his watch again, and sighed knowing what a day he would have tomorrow, but his night suddenly got very interesting. 

“Didn’t think I was your type to be honest.” All pretense of being coy was gone; Robert knew what he wanted. Aaron bit his lip as he reclaimed his leaning against the counter. 

“Maybe I just took pity on you,” Aaron retorted. Robert’s stomach fluttered at the banter. 

“In that case, do you pity me enough to let me buy you a drink while you’re on duty?” 

Aaron glanced over his shoulder, catching the eye of the other bartender who grinned and turned away. 

“I think so,” he admitted, and Robert grinned. Soon enough Aaron was stationed in front of Robert, a similar glass of scotch in hand. 

“So, why Psychology?”

Aaron paused, pensive before he replying. 

“I had some help getting through some stuff as a teenager, and I decided I wanted to do that for other people.”

Warmth spread through Robert’s chest at the words, and the honesty they brought; it was both a vulnerable admission and a sign of strength. Robert nodded at him, quickly raising his glass in Aaron’s direction. 

“What is an accountant doing alone in a bar, on a wednesday?” Aaron asked, taking a sip of his drink while he waited for a reply, eyes sparkling. 

“I just moved to the city, I don’t really know anyone so I figured rather than have dinner with my sister, again, I should try to meet some people… Felt like a better idea than spending another evening in my half-empty apartment.” 

“So I shouldn’t be worried?” Aaron joked, his face betraying his ease in Robert’s presence, his smile open and honest. 

“Not about that, no.” Robert shamelessly ran his down Aaron’s chest before returning his gaze to Aaron’s blue eyes. He was blushing, and Robert thought it was almost too beautiful a sight. 

Their eye-contact was broken when a large group of tipsy university students bustled through the door, forcing Aaron to move down the bar and start serving customers. Robert enjoyed watching him, the slight clench in his jaw, the tight hug of his clothing as he started making whatever drink was ordered. He worked efficiently but with great care, taking pride in having his drink appreciated. It felt too good, too surreal to have any vestige of reality but Robert knew he liked this Aaron more than he liked most people he met. Whether it was the honesty, the brain, the blue eyes, or the eye for a good scotch but it made his stomach flutter and his lips tug involuntarily up in a smile. 

When Aaron had served all the customers he walked back to where Robert was sitting, eyes fixed on his as he made his way. He made a show of looking up at the clock on the wall before taking his near-empty glass and downing it in one go. 

“Didn’t expect you to be this patient,” he remarked. The glass rested opposite Robert’s on the table. 

“I am for something worth waiting for,” Robert replied calmly. He emptied his own glass and set it down next to Aaron’s.

He bit his lip and indicated towards the door. “Give me 5 minutes and I’ll be ready, yeah?” 

Robert nodded, swallowing hard as Aaron walked over to his co-worker and said goodbye. He disappeared briefly and Robert shrugged on his jacket as he waited. It was almost impossible to see that Aaron had changed clothes except that his jeans were dark blue instead of black and the t-shirt looked less rumpled than previously. 

Robert followed him out the door and into the cold night air, tugging his jacket around his exposed neck. 

“Yours or mine?” was all Aaron asked, eyes bright and shining. Robert stared into them, felt a tug in his stomach and a tingling in his fingers as he reached out and pulled Aaron closer. 

“I live about 5 minutes away on foot.”

Aaron took a few seconds, feigning indecision before he cocked his head to one side and grinned.

“Best get going then.”

The walk back was quiet, Aaron walking next to Robert and not bothering with small talk. He opened the door to his block of flats and Aaron followed with a smile that only grew as they walked up the stairs, Aaron taking two at a time and making Robert roll his eyes. 

His hands were steady as he unlocked the door to his flat, and walked in first, turning around and pulling Aaron through the door to capture those soft lips with his own. Aaron tasted like whisky and possibility, sighing as Robert closed the door and pressed Aaron up against it, lips never leaving Aaron’s. 

Aaron short stubble grazed against Robert’s skin as he deepened the kiss, Aaron opening his mouth and letting their tongues meet. It was soft, a tentative try of muscle against muscle, curling and sliding and making Robert’s head spin; Aaron’s lips were soft and pliant and Aaron’s tongue was searing, tasting of whisky and possibility and Robert never wanted to let go.

Robert’s hands made their way to Aaron’s shoulder, pushing off this jacket before cupping his face and drawing him in, pulling him towards the bedroom without breaking their contact. Aaron chuckled as he moved, fingers unbuttoning Robert’s coat and pushing it to the floor somewhere between the front door and the kitchen.

What was almost innocent quickly became heated when Robert pulled him through the door to the bedroom and they started pawing at each other’s clothes, desperate and needy and without reservation. Robert couldn’t remember the last time he had wanted so freely, simply desired and felt that pool of want in his stomach and tingle of his skin and flush to his face. 

Aaron splayed out naked on his dark purple sheets was a sight to be seen. He was as honest as he had been in the bar, open and vulnerable and completely unafraid to say what he wanted. It was thrilling, Robert thought he worked him open, to be allowed to be himself so freely.

Afterwards, as the sweat dried and their fingers intertwined on the sheets, Aaron gave Robert a quick grin and leaned in for more, pulling him under with his every touch of his hands and slick of his tongue. Robert felt himself stir quickly and had no concept of time when Aaron was done with him, no idea how late it was as Aaron curled around him and pulled Robert’s back against his chest. 

How long his alarm had been ringing before he was pulled from sleep was unknown to him, but he clawed at his nightstand and opened his eyes to press down on the snooze button and shift. Aaron hadn’t noticed, still asleep with an arm slung over Robert’s chest. The sun was rising giving Robert a chance to admire him in daylight; his eyes raked down his chest as far as the duvet allowed him and it wasn’t until he looked particularly close that he noticed the scars that crisscrossed, thin white lines of faded scar tissue that he would never have noticed in the dimmed light. He remembered Aaron’s comment, Aaron’s slightly distant eyes as he talked about the issues of his past and sucked in a quick breath, fitting the pieces together. If he had thought him strong before, it was nothing compared to how he saw him now.

His eyes moved back up to look at his soft features, his plump lips and curly hair and remembered how Aaron had made him come apart at the seams, remembered Aaron moaning and grinning and panting in his ear. The scars didn’t matter, Robert thought, pressing a quick kiss to Aaron’s cheek before he got up. 

The shower brought him much needed wakefulness and a hot cup of coffee even more so. He placed a cup on Aaron’s side of the bed as he got dressed, trying to remain quiet but knowing he had to wake up soon. 

“Morning,” he said when he saw a bleary-eyed Aaron roll over and grab his coffee cup. 

“Morning,” he replied, taking a sip and suddenly starting, looking down at his own chest before his eyes flickered to Robert. 

“I’m really sorry about this but I have an important meeting in about 45 minutes, and I’m going to have to leave you here,” Robert said, slotting in his cufflinks and walking over to pick a tie. “There’s a towel for you in the bathroom, and some food in the kitchen if you’d like it…” he looked down at Aaron and felt his stomach flip at the small grin he saw on his lips. 

He couldn’t help himself.

He walked over to Aaron’s side of the bed and sat down next to Aaron’s naked body.

“Thank you,” he said, leaning forwards and pressing a kiss to Aaron’s lips. “Last night was… something else.” 

Aaron grinned at him and pulled him in, curling his tongue around Robert’s and tasting of coffee. Robert curled his hand around his neck, fingers lacing through short hair as he tilted his head and moved closer, wanting more.

When they broke apart Robert was aching to stay, to rip off his stupid shirt and suit and drown in the feeling of Aaron but he sighed. Instead he opted to give Aaron a simple smile.

“I know this is seen as bad form, but I would like to see you again, if you want.” 

Aaron pressed a quick kiss to his lips before answering.

“I’d like that,” he admitted. Robert nodded, eyes dragging over Aaron’s flushed skin and swollen lips. The sight made his blood boil. 

“I’ll leave a slip of paper with my phone number on the kitchen table… as much as I wish I could stay I only just started and -” 

“Go,” Aaron grinned, throwing a pillow after Robert as he pulled on his suit jacket and stuffed a tie in his pocket. “I’ll call ya.” 

Robert nodded at him, eyes catching Aaron’s as he walked to his door. He had to draw himself away, but finally he managed to make it outside his room and scrawl a quick note before running out the door. 

Robert tried all he might but concentrating on his work seemed futile when his mind kept replaying the night before, over and over. His meeting at 9:10 started with Robert feeling Aaron as soon as he sat down, remembering the slow roll of his hips as they moved together. At lunch he fought the memory of Aaron in his hand, in his mouth, of his shattering orgasm and Robert found himself clocking out of the conversation on more than one occasion, hoping his lack of mental presence wasn’t too noticeable.

When he finally came home, exhausted and hungry, he found a small note resting on his coffee table, and untidy scrawl that seemed befitting of Aaron and he smiled. His exhaustion was replaced with nerves as he opened the slip of paper and read, his heart hammering in his chest, his stomach aflutter. 

_ Your bed is brilliant - think I might have to sleep in it again. X _

He grinned from ear to ear, settling down for a cup of tea and some food after a long day. As he sat enjoying a beer before bed his phone lit up on the table.

_ When do we repeat? _ was all it said and Robert groaned aloud. This man was going to be the death of him. 

_ When do you have time?  _ he replied as quickly as his frantic texting would allow. 

The programme on screen was entirely forgotten by the time his phone went off again. 

_ I have a night off saturday _ , was all it said and Robert smiled.

_ Saturday it is _ . 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> this is based on a tumblr writing prompt and some people wanted to read more! One of those was the wonderful Claudia, and this is my birthday present for her <3 
> 
> come and find me on tumblr: escapingreality51


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